Westinghouse electric &amp; manufacturing company



A. NYNIAN. STARNNG MECHANISM FOR AVUToMoBiLgS.

l APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20.1920. 1,437,069.

Patented Nm'. 28, 1922,

' INVENTOR ATTORN EY To all whom, it 711mg/ concern.

Patented Nov. 2S, i922.

ALEXANDER NYMAN. F ILKINSBURG, HEFI'III'SYLV'ANIA;v SSIGNOR TOYVJEIS'KINGFA HOUSE ELECTRIC t MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION-OFPENNSYL- VANIA..

STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed November 20, 1920. Serial No. 425,407.

Be it known that l, .-LnxANnnn NYMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a'resident of lVilkinsburU, in the county ot Allegheny and State ofliennsylvania, have invented a new' and useful Improvement in StartingMechanisms for Automobileaof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting mechanisrns for automobiles and,particularly, to starting mechanisms wherein pinions are moved axiallyinto mesh vwith engine gear wheels. y' I @ne object of my. invention isto provide a starting mechanism that shall comprise a lat coil `springfor connecting a pinion to the motor armature and for effecting axialmovement of the pinion and that shall.

lalso comprise centrifugally-operated levers 'which normally. lock thepinion against rotation when the motor is standing still.

In automobile-starting mechanisms of the type having a motor pinion thatis-movahle axially into mesh with van engine gear'wheel, considerabletrouble has been experienced heretofore in effecting axial movement ofthe pinion without damaging the gear teeth.v ln a starting mechanismhaving a spiral thread formed on the armatureshaft for effecting axialor longitudinal Inove-A -ment of the pinion, the gear teeth are oftendamaged by reason of pinion teeth meeting the engine-gear-wheel teethend to end. Moreover, lit is necessary, in such systems, to operate themotor within certain speed limits to obtain meshing when the pinionteeth register properly with the geaiw'l1eel teeth.

In a starting mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention,apinion is rotatably and sl'idably mounted upon the shaft of thestarting motor. which is mounted on the armature shaft be'- tween thepinion and the frame of the motor, serves to effect axial movement otthe pinion upon ystarting of the motor.: One end of the spring memberisdirectly connected to the armature shaft and the other end thereof isdireetlyconnected to the motor pinion. v

The frame ofthe starting motor is provided with an end bracket having'slots cnt therein adjacent to the pinion..v A plurality of levers, whichare pivot'allyv mounted on the mot-or pinion, are-.biased to register Aflat coil spring.,

withthe slots in said end bracket when the starting motor isde-energized. Upon energlzation of the motor, the pinion is prey'ventedfrom rotatingl by the levers which engage the slots in the end bracket.However, the relative movement between the armature shaft and the motorpinion so expands the flat spring as to' force'the pinion into mesh withthe engine gear wheel. Upon meshing ofsuch members, the pivotallymounted leversl become disengaged frointhe slots in said end bracket andare held by centrifugal torce .away from the motor shaft. y

In ,the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a side elevational View ot a starting mechanism constructedin accordance with my invention;

F ig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the positions of variousparts of the starting` mechanism upon meshing of the pinion with theengine gear wheel;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a' modivication of my invention,and

Fig. 4 is a side View o the spring member which is utilized or effectingaxiail movement of the motor pinion. Referring to the'accompanyingdrawing, a motor L of any suitable type, is provided for operating anengine gear wheel 2 to start an internal-combustion engine (not shown).The motor 'l comprises a frame 3 having end brackets 4 and 5 andanarmature shaft 6 which is provided with any suitable bear` ings in theend brackets. The end bracket 5 is provided with a plurality of slots 7for a purpose to he hereinafter set forth.

A motor pinion 8 is slidahiy and rotatably mounted upon the armatureshaft ti and is adapted to he moved axially into mesh with the enginegear wheel .2 upon energization ot the motor. l'lhe pinion 8`is providedwith a' collar 9 which is preferably formed integral therewith. Thecollar member 9 is provided with a'plurality of axially extendingsupports l0. A dat c oil spring l1 is mounted on the armature shaft 6between the pin-v ion 8 and the armature l2- ot' the 'inotor. ()ne endof the spring member ll is ixedly connected to the armature l2 and theother end thereof isfixedly connected to the collar member 9. Thediameter of the coil of the spring member is somewhat greater than thediameter ot' the armature shaft in order that. the coils may' beseparated somewhat apen relative movement between the armature shaft andthe motor pinion.

Each of the supports 10 is provided with a pivotally mounted lever 13Which is biased to register with one of the slots 7 in the end frame bymeans of any ber 14. ,Il i, i

Assuming the startin mechanism to befin the position shown in ig. l andthe .motor 2 to be energized, relative movement is produced between thearmature shaft 6 and the motor pinion 8 by reason of the levers 13co-operatin with the slots 7 in the end bracket 5. uch relative movementbetween the motor pinion and the armature shaft effects an uncoilingmovement of the spring member 11 which reacts on the collar member 9 tomove the motor pinion axially into mesh with theepgine gear Wheel` 2,Upon meshing of the pinion with the gear Wheel, the levers 13 areWithdrawn from Athe slots 7 the end frame and, consequently, the pinionis rotated for 'cranking theengine (lnot shown). TheA rotative .movementof tie pinion 8 and the collar member-9pmduces a centrifugal-^foce whichholds`4 the levers 13 away from the armature; shaft 6, as shown in Fig.`2' of the drawing. It should be noted that, byutilizing a flat springmember fory connecting the motor pinion to the lmotor armature,;a largeramount of axialI movement ofthe pinion is eliected f tween'the shaft andthe pinion thancould be effected byany other Referrinv to Fig. A3 ofthej,filiawingg` a motor 20` avin ture 22, is providedfoi-'operatinganeiikrine gear Wheel 23'tocrank an internal-com 'iis'-tion engine, (not shown). is provided Withfa shaft-24 Whic icarriesamotor pinion 25. lThe pinion 25 mounted upon the armature yshat and'ismovedA axially into' mesh Withthe teeth on theengine gear wheel 23upoi'rener 'zation of the motor. In this modification, t e completemotor is moved axiallyifrin place of moving the pinion along the shaft,as in the mechanism shown in Figs'. 1 and 2.

The motor frame21is slidablywmountedin a housing 26 of any suitable.constructioiif'f ,i'sjattached to such housingjby means',l

and of/a spring member 27,0ne endoi1 the springI member being ixedlyconnected to the house, ing 26 and the other end ofthe springl inem be'r`beingfixedly connected to any siiitable pointpon themotor frame 21;yThe armaturesha'ft 24 carries a centrifugal block 28, and the'fblookserves tosu'pport a plurality of pivotally mounted levers 291; The7leversv29 are biased by means of-slpring' `members 30 to register withslots 31,t at are formedl in a, stationary block 82, The stationaryblock 32 is preferably mounted on the housing 26.

suitable springmemt.

for a4 given relative movement be-- ytype of spring member.

Thear animee iis many` 4uypon energizing the motori axial movement ofthe pinion upon 1 ,437,oee

meshing between the motor pinion and the engine gear Wheel. Upon meshingbetween the pinion and the gear wheel, the levers 251 are Withdrawn fromthe 'slots 31. and, consequently, the pinion 25 is rotated for operatingthe engine gear wheel to crank the erigine. During such operation, thespring member '27 prevents any rotative movement by the frame of themotor. When the engine is started and the motor is cle-energized, thespring member 27 moves the compiete motor and the pinion 25 towards theleft, as shown in the drawing, to demesh the pinion and gear wheel.

yIn the preferred starting mechanism above described, a fiat springmember is provided, not only for connectin the motor pinion to thearmaturebut also ior effecting axial movement of the pinion into meshwith the engine gear Wheel. Moreover, the spring member serves toWithdraw the motor pinion from mesh with the engine gear wheel upon withthe engine gear Wheel and, accordingly,

is not liable to be damaged in case the pinion teeth meet theenginegear-wheel teeth the arrangement and location of parts may be madewithin the spirit and scope of my invention and such modifications are'inu tended to be covered by the appended dennis.

claim as my invention r-- 1. In a starting mechanism, the combinationWith a motorand a pinion mounted on the shaft of said motor, of a springmember connected between the motor shaft and said pinion, andcentrifugally operable means for locking said pinion against rotationuntil the pinion occupies a predetermined position relatively to saidmotor shaft. 2." In a starting mechanism, the combina- 'tion with yamotor'havinga shaft 'and a pinion mountedI orisa'idl shaft, of a Hetspring l'Wound on`said yshaft and connected between said pinion andtheshaft,asaid spring serving to movev the'pinion axially into mesh withthe enginei'gear wheel upon starting o? the motor, and centri'fugalyoperated mem bers for preventing rotation of the pinion.

f f3. In a starting mechanism, the combina 'tion with a motor and apinion, or means comprising a spring member for 'connecting saidpinionto the motorvv and for effecting starting lil@- levers norma ,of themotor, and centrifugally operablel means for preventing rotation of thepinion until the pinion occupies a predetermined position along the axisof said shaft. k4. In a starting mechanism, the combination with :imotor having a shaft, a pinion, and an engine'gear wheel, of meanscomprising a flat'spring member `for connecting said pinion to the motorand for efectin axial movement of the pinion into mesh withthe enginegear Wheel, and centrifugally operated members for locking said pinionto the motor frame when the motor is (ie-energized. 5. In a startingmechanism, they combination with avmotor and a pinion,of meanscomprising a spring member for connecting the pinion to-the motor andfor effecting -axial movement of the pinion, land means mounted on saidpinion for preventing its rotating until the motor has been energized avpredetermined length of time. l

6. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor, and a pinion,of means comprising a .fiat' spring member for connecting said pinion tothe motor and for effecting axial movement of the pinion, and Hivotallymounted on said pinionand ofthe motor.

7. In a starting mechanism, the combina-,i tien with a motor, the frameofy said motor p pivotal having an end bracket with slots out therein,and a pinion, of means comprising a flat lspring for connecting saidpinion to .the shaft of the motor, levers pivotally mounted on saidpinion, and mea-ns for biasing said levers into the slots in the motorframe when the motor is de-ener ized.

8. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor, the rame ofsaid motor'v having an end bracket with slots formed thereirn'and amotor pinion mounted on the motor shaft, of a flat spring. mounted onthe motor shaft and connected to the motor shaft and said pinion, saidspring serving to effect axial movement of the pinion upon starting ofthe motor, a plurality of levers y mounted on said pinion, and means forbiasing ,said levers to positions in said slots when the motor isstationary. 9. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor,and a motor pinion, of a at spring member for connecting said pinion tothe motor and 4ttor effecting axial .movement of the pinion, a pair ofeentrifugally operated levers mounted onsaid pinion, and means forbiasing said levers into locked engagement with the frame of the motor.y extending into slots inthe frame In testimony whereof, I have hereuntosubscribed my name this first day of No vember, 1920. y/f/ ALEXANDER

